U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the appointment of Jo Ann Storie, Prospect Airport Services Senior Vice President, along with 16 other members to the re-established Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee (ACAA Advisory Committee).

“Airline passengers with disabilities deserve to travel safely and with dignity, and the Biden-Harris Administration has proactively worked to prioritize and protect their rights,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Buttigieg. “The ACAA Advisory Committee is a valuable partner in our work, helping our department identify challenges in air travel and providing recommendations on how to make flying more accessible.”

The ACAA Advisory Committee was established for a five-year period pursuant to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 and was extended until September 30, 2028 by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. It is tasked with assessing the existing and emerging disability-related access barriers for passengers with disabilities; evaluating the extent to which the Department’s programs and activities are eliminating disability-related access barriers; and recommending actions to improve the air travel experience of passengers with disabilities. This Committee will report its assessment and recommendations to the Secretary.

As required by the FAA Act, the Secretary has appointed at least one representative from each of the following groups: national disability organizations; air carriers; airport operators; contractor service providers; aircraft manufacturers; wheelchair manufacturers; and national veterans’ organizations representing disabled veterans. For certain categories, there are more than one representative to ensure multiple perspectives are represented and membership is balanced.  Additionally, DOT is in the process of appointing an 18th member to represent passengers with disabilities in addition to the seven representatives from national disability organizations.

The ACAA Advisory Committee members selected by the Secretary are:

• Zainab Alkebsi, National Association of the Deaf, as representative of national disability organizations
  
• Heather Ansley, Paralyzed Veterans of America, as co-chair and representative of national veterans organization representing disabled veterans
  
• Chris Brown, National Air Carrier Association, as representative of air carriers
  
• Amy Claire Brusch, Airports Council International – North America, as representative of airport operators
  
• Albert Elia, National Federation of the Blind
  
• Michele Erwin, All Wheels Up, as representative of national disability organizations
  
• Mark Greig, Sunrise Medical, as representative of wheelchair manufacturers
  
• Graham Keithley, Airlines for America, as representative of air carriers
  
• Roland Mair, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, as representative of aircraft manufacturers
  
• Paige Mazzoni, Canine Companions, as representative of national disability organizations
  
• Sheila O’Brien, Assistance Dogs International North America, as representative of national disability organizations
  
• Nobuyo Reinsch, Regional Airline Association, as representative of air carriers
  
• Linda Ristagno, International Air Transport Association, as co-chair and representative of air carriers
  
• Pierre-Antoine Senes, Airbus, as representative of aircraft manufacturers
  
• Neil Snyder, Hearing Loss Association of America, as representative of national disability organizations
  
• Jo Ann Storie, Prospect Airport Services, Inc., as representative of contract service providers
  
• Christopher Witkowski, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, as representative of flight attendants